ST. LOUIS – Several St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers have been taken off the street for administrative duty after a group from Philadelphia said it uncovered offensive posts.
Chief John Hayden said the following steps will be taken in relation to what he called deeply concerning social media posts - Initiation of an IAD investigation with a discipline range of re-instruction to dismissal for sustained allegations, administration duty for most egregious posters and sensitivity training.
On Monday, several police officers were accused by the group, “The Plain View Project,” of racist posts on Facebook.
The group out of Philadelphia said it searched the social media posts of officers in several departments across the country.
The group flagged more than 400 posts it said were linked to current or former St. Louis police officers.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed to 5 On Your Side an investigation is underway by internal affairs is investigating to determine if any department policies were violated.
According to the mayor’s spokesperson, the training had already been in the works and is “not just because of the report of the Plain View Project.”
Sensitivity training will be for all officers and all civil service employees. This had been in the works, not just because of the reporting of the Plain View Project.
